“One health” concept to mitigate zoonoses: Indian perspective

While the interfaces between animal, human, plant, and environmental arenas have many positive effects and outcomes, they have also led to an increased incidence of zoonoses and multifactorial chronic diseases. Effectively addressing these diseases requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral knowledge and skills to counter the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and environmental pollution/contamination, ensuring food safety, sound health, and wellness. According to the “One Health (OH)” concept put forth by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), multisectoral cooperation is necessary for the best possible health of humans, animals, and the environment. Collaboration should encompass local, national, and international organizations involved in human and veterinary public health, forestry, and environmental health. In India, the idea of OH is still in its infancy but is growing gradually. “Using the One Health (OH) approach, the Indian government has taken steps to address pressing issues such as antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic illnesses, and food safety, despite encountering several obstacles. The main challenges in adopting the One Health approach include the absence of a legal framework, poor coordination between various public and private organizations, insufficient animal disease surveillance, inadequate mechanisms for timely data collection and sharing across sectors, challenges with neighboring South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, and a lack of funding. To effectively leverage the One Health approach in combating the rising incidence of zoonotic diseases, there is an urgent need to implement systematic zoonotic disease surveillance. This should include regulated antibiotic use among humans, animals, and crop agriculture. Additionally, it is crucial to develop a national zoonotic disease registry and establish a comprehensive network involving academic, research, pharmaceutical, and various other stakeholders from different sectors at both national and regional levels. The role of inter-sectoral cooperation in integrating and enhancing the global health system is widely acknowledged. However, its application to One Health (OH) is not yet evident. To successfully implement the ‘OH’ concept, there is an urgent need for establishing collaboration due to the growing complexity of the health system. This review explores various ‘OH’ collaboration models and considers which model could be most effective for India’s healthcare system. The review process involved three steps: a) identification of crucial OH collaboration strategies, b) documentation of worldwide activities in OH and allied disciplines, and c) scoping these into India’s OH initiatives.